How do YOU combat writer's block?

K

Kitti

Guest
Original poster
[size=+1]
frustrated-woman-at-computer.jpg


We all know the feeling: you want to write posts for someone, you've been plotting and planning for this roleplay and you were just so excited and then suddenly, your mind won't work. You can't get the write words out, can't think of things to type...

Dun dun dunnnnn... Writer's block.

How do YOU cope with it? What do you do to get the creative juices flowing for yourself?
[/size]
 
Music.. something loud, something fast, something metal.

<iframe frameborder="0" width="480" height="276" src="http://www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/x4cway"></iframe><br /><a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4cway_cmx-punainen-komentaja_music" target="_blank">CMX - Punainen komentaja</a> <i>by <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/Rosoboronexport" target="_blank">Rosoboronexport</a></i>
 
LISTEN TO MUSICAL SCORES FROM MOVIES.

PLAY LEAGUE.

TALK TO PEOPLE.

ROLL AROUND ON THE CARPET.
 
It happens in the middle of my posts, I just hesitate...So
I usually leave my posts and do other things like
-listen to music
-Play something [League,Runescape,WoW]
I can get an idea and continue going.


 
Awesome music.

Good movie.

Good book.

Plot bunny breeding.

Peace and quiet.

FORCING IT OUT REGARDLESS OF HOW SHITTY IT IS.


That last one happens a lot. c__c; Sometimes you just have to write something crappy just to get the words OUT and then move on from there.
 
Music works great for me. I just listen and write, usually works. Exercise also works for me, I get inspired to write after working out or strenuous activity.
 
Just start writing radom nonsense. Unless for some reason I made my character based off a character in a book or movie or TV show. Then I'll start reading fanfic or read/watch the original thing.

Or make up new characters. I really enjoy that. :D
 
Like a lot of other people music work sometimes, as does doing an activity like washing dishes or going for a walk, or just damn well typing no matter what. But one of my favorite methods is talking it out. Even if it's not an RP post but a story sometimes it's just good for me to talk about what I want to type. Then the momentum of telling the abridged story gets me going for the real thing.
 
I rarely have writer's block. In fact, I usually suffer from the other end of writer's block, that is, I have too much ideas and too little time. But, if I get writer's block, then I get writer's block, and I am unable to move on for hours, if not days. Ideas simply stop coming to me and the gears in my head grind to a halt, refusing to move. However, this rarely tends to happen with multiple stories, so if I find myself having a particularly bad case of writer's block, then I just move on to another story. If not even that helps, then it is time to begin a new one and get some ideas flowing, maybe incorporate it into the world of another short story to make them connected.

Music also tends to help sometimes, but I prefer music without lyrics, because those tend to distract me from writing. While awesome lyrics might be good to listen to if you are reading something on the internet, or just browsing, it is absolutely terrible for writing. However, most of the time, I write silently, because I end up locking the music out anyways, so unless I absolutely want to set the mood for a scene, I do not turn the music on.
 
Music, I agree, with no lyrics is always the best;

Another way, force it, force the derpost out, like Dianers said;

Talk it out. Like Ocha- well, i don't talk it out, I just dialogue with myself writing. More like chatting with myself.*shrugs*

HAVE A SHOWER. I get in the shower and 99% of the times at least one RP will start rolling in my mind.

Watch a movie analytically. Yes, steal, babe.




Ok now on for some shameless self advertising. I have this blog post with 29 ways to stay creative. I think I'll post the image here.
[SPOILI]
29ways.jpg
[/SPOILI]
 
If it's not music, it's outside images. Go outside, spot a tree, think of how it grew, it's origin, the symbolism it shares with the rest of the smaller, less noticable trees, and right there, you have some literary gears working in your head.

Either that, or inspiration from your favorite writer.
 
Taking a quick shower...I don't know why but the feeling of the warm water in my head makes me think about the weirdest most incredible stuff
 
Usually I just read, watch anime, or play video games until I'm hit by a sudden burst of inspiration. If that doesn't work then I more or less bang my head against the nearest wall or a desk a couple of times, which, oddly enough, has actually worked a couple of times.
 
mine also usually happens durring the middle of a post and i will actually call my best girl friend who is a great roleplayer ((but she only does yaoi rps)) and she comes up with a small little hint for me to work with
 
I don't think I suffer from writer's block, but in turn, the ideas and characters I come up with are somewhat restricted in scope. That is, I only play characters I already know about from the start.

teehee mary sue etc
 
Really, unanun? You've done intrincate murder plots and mechanical spiders before?
*is brokenhearted*

OK.
I know I already posted, but I kept thinking about this.

Sometimes eating or smelling stuff inspires me. There is nothing like the texture of strawberries or grapefruit.

Or cinnamon, great, great thing. I keep a flask of cinnamon on my desk.

Sometimes I play with feathers. I also keep a jar with feathers on my desk. They inspire me in many ways- from colour to shape and texture. Sometimes I don't look at them, but feel them against my skin- or my mouth, that is awesome- and I get some idea going on.

Iced tea, or hot tea, also works wonders. Nothing like a quiet moment of contemplation holding a cup.

Cards, playing cards. Mix, draw a card out, think about it.

Lipstick! I'd put some lipstick when I'm out of ideas, too. Guess what. I also keep some lipstick on my desk...
 
Well, I haven't, but I imagine characters and scenarios in large, large chunks and then that's enough to slowly bleed out over many posts. Most of my imaginings are amalgams of things I've read or watched .. I think. So I'm not on the level of GMs like Asmo who sit down and create worlds. I'm not sure what would happen if I tried; I lack inspiration in that sense.
 
Generally I force myself to do a lot of writing prompts until I work my way out of the block.
 
If it is writers block on a school thingy then I mostly watch the screen and just "AAAAAAARG I NEEEEEED TO FINISH THIS Dx" and after some hours I am somehow able to start again xD

If it is roleplays, things I write that isn't school work and so on then I eat, mostly potato chip's or some kind of candy and drink a lot of coke. If that doesn't help then I go out for a walk to fresh up a bit. If that doesn't work then I listen to music. If that doesn't work then I maybe read a book that has the same theme as the thing I am working on. If that doesn't work then I am probably over stressed and then I won't be able to write anyways, then it's just to wait until the school stops torturing me.